Filling thread tension device for looms



July 18, 1950 Filed May 9, 1949 S. T. BRADLEY El AL FILLING THREAD TENSION DEVICE FOR LOOMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VENTORS SAMUEL 7. BRADLEVANJ Patented July 18, 1950 FILLING THREAD TENSION DEVICE FOR LOOMS Samuel T. Bradley, Wellford, and Itiley A. Jones, Lyman, S. 0.

Application May 9, 1949, Serial No. 92,172

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a filling thread tension device for looms, and more particularly to a device of this sort adapted for use in looms of the type incorporating an automatic filling replenishing mechanism, and by which the loose filling ends which result at transfer in such a loom may be tensioned and thereby maintained positively disposed for cutting by the temple knife.

Looms of the type mentioned above, in which means are provided for automatically replenishing the filling supply, are well known and have been used in the textile industry for a number of years. According to the usual arrangement, operation of the replenishing mechanism is controlled by feeler means which are disposed on the loom to detect approaching exhaustion of the filling supply and cause actuation of the replenishing mechanism to eject the exhausted bobbin and transfer a new bobbin to the shuttle and thereby replenish the filling supply.

When transfer is effected by the replenishing mechanism in this manner, a filling end extending from the selvage edge of the cloth is left by the exhausted bobbin, and a second extending filling end is presented by the new bobbin transferred to the shuttle.

In the case of the exhausted bobbin, a parting means is commonly provided on the loom to cut the filling thread free from the bobbin as it is ejected, and this parting means is usually arranged to hold the extending filling end that is left until it is also severed by the temple knife at the selvage edge of the cloth. In the case of the new bobbin transferred to the shuttle to replenish the filling supply, the extending filling end runs from the yarn holder or stud, on the battery and is intended to be held extended from this point until cut by the temple knife.

It often happens, however, that because of breaking of the filling thread, Or for other reasons, several transfers may be made by the replenishing mechanism in immediate succession, in which case the above mentioned parting means will operate to cut and hold the filling thread as each succeeding bobbin is ejected, and each time will accordingly turn loose the extending filling end left by the previously ejected bobbin, which filling end may not have yet been reached for cutting by the temple knife. As a result, these loose filling ends are left to hang free from the selvage edge of the cloth so that they not only are likely to be beyond the reach of the temple knife, but also are free to be drawn into the shed on succeeding picks and thereby result in weaving a defect into the cloth, Much the same difficulty may result from having several filling ends extending from the battery holder to the selvage edge of the cloth, as these ends are normally disposed adjacent the path of travel of the shuttle and are consequently often broken so that they may likewise be drawn into the shed to cause a defect in the cloth.

There have been a number of prior proposals for dealing with these loose filling ends so that they would be maintained positively for cutting by the temple knife under all conditions. In so far as we are aware, however, none of the devices suggested by these prior proposals have proven satisfactory largely because they have incorporated unduly complicated arrangements of operating elements that could not, as a practical matter, be maintained in working order consistently enough to obtain satisfactory operating results.

According to the present invention, we have provided a filling thread tension device for looms which incorporates a very simple construction, and which is adapted for gripping and retaining all loose filling ends resulting from automatic transfer by the replenishing mechanism, so that they are maintained under tension from the selvage edge of the cloth until cut by the temple knife. The filling thread tension device of the present invention can be installed readily on any loom equipped for automatic filling replenishment irrespective of whether single or double forks are used, or whether or not a filling feeler is used, or whether or not the replenishing mechanism includes a parting means.

The filling thread tension device of the present invention is described further below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a filling thread tension device arranged in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan detail illustrating the arrangement of an automatic replenishing mechanism on a loom, and showing the operating disposition of the filling thread tension device of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the filling thread tension device of the present invention; and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail of the filling thread tension device in which the position of the filling thread with respect to the device is indicated.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the filling thread tension device of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral l0. Generally described, this filling thread tension device l comprises an arm member adapted by means of a mounting bracket or the like as at l2 for attachment on a loom frame with an extending disposition reaching immediately below the normal path of filling thread across the lay of the loom, as will be explained more in detail presently. The arm member of the filling thread tension device I0 is particularly characterized by a plurality of transverse slots disposed as at I4 for receiving and gripping the filling threads when they are shifted from their normal path at transfer, as will also be pointed out more in detail below.

Referring more particularly to the form and arrangement of this arm member of the filling thread tension device It, it will be noted that, as incorporated in the embodiment shown in the drawings, this arm member comprises a shank portion l6 adjacent the mounting bracket l2, and that a spring 18 is disposed on this shank portion It so that it bears against the mounting bracket l2 for normall maintaining the arm member in fully extended position, but allowing sliding retraction of the shank portion H5 in the mounting bracket l2 whenever required during operation of the loom, as will appear further below.

The shank portion I 6 may be formed in part in reduced cross section to receive the spring It, as illustrated at 20 in Figs. 1 and 2, and this portion 20 of reduced cross section should be formed with at least one fiat face, and preferably with a rectangular form as illustrated best in Fig. 3 of the drawing, so that the mounting bracket l2 provided for receiving the portion 20 for sliding movement may be formed to engage the flat face or faces of this portion 20 and thereby prevent turning of the filling thread tension device In with respect to the mounting bracket I2. The portion 20 is provided in a length sufficient to extend through the mounting bracket G2 in this manner, and is fitted with a nut 20 for retaining it in the mounting bracket 12 against the pressure of the spring IS.

The shank portion 36, including the portion 20 of reduced cross section, extends from the mounting bracket l2 with a straight disposition, and the previously mentioned transverse slots M are arranged at the extending end of this straight shank portion l6. As previously mentioned, these transverse slots M are provided for receivin and gripping the filling threads when they shift from their normal path at transfer, and these slots M are accordingly formed in a relatively narrow width exceeding the diameter of the filling thread sufiiciently to allow it to be received freel in the slots, but approximating the filling thread diameter so that it will be gripped and retained by the slots while angled from the selvage edge of the cloth (compare Figs. 4 and 5).

Beyond the straight shank portion [6, the arm member of the filling thread tension device In is further arranged with a downwardly inclined portion 22, and a second straight portion 24 continuing from the downwardly inclined portion 22 and having a parallel disposition with respect to the straight shank portion It. A filling thread tension device It! arranged in this manner may be attached on a loom frame simply by securing the mounting bracket l2 in place with a machine screw or the like, as indicated at l2 (compare Figs. 3 and 4).

The operating arrangement of the filling thread tension device ID of the present invention on an automatic filling replenishing loom is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, in which the loom frame is indicated generally at F, the cloth being woven at C, the lay at L, the shuttle at S, the battery for the automatic replenishing mechanism at B, the battery holder or arm stud at H, the parting means for the exhausted filling end at P, the exhausted filling end at E, the new filling end at E, and the temple knife at T.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the filling thread tension device ll] of the present invention is mounted on the loom frame F at the battery side of the loom with an extending disposition in parallel spaced relation adjacent the selvage edge of the cloth C being woven on the loom. Also, as previously noted, the extending disposition of the filling thread tension device l0 reaches immediately below the normal path of filling thread across the lay L of the loom. For this purpose, the lay may be grooved or recessed as at L to accommodate this disposition of the filling thread tension device I0. If operation of the loom is interrupted at any time so that the shuttle is stopped in mid flight on the lay L adjacent the extending position of the filling thread tension device 10, the arrangement of the mounting bracket l2 will allow retraction as previously mentioned so that any danger of damaging the shuttle or other loom elements when this occurs is avoided.

When disposed in this manner, the second straight portion 24 of the arm member forming the filling thread tension device l0, together with the downwardly inclined portion 22, are arranged in substantial correspondence with the reach of the lay movement (compare Fig. 5), the downwardl inclined portion 22 serving to limit normally the play of filling thread to the second straight portion 24, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

Upon exhaustion of the filling supply and operation of the replenishing mechanism for transferring a new bobbin to a shuttle S, the filling end E left by the old bobbin will be gripped by the parting means P and shifted to an angled position with respect to the selvage edge of the cloth C, as illustrated in Fig. 4. Likewise, the filling end E from the new bobbin transferred to the shuttle S will extend from the battery holder H also with an angled disposition, as shown in Fig. 4.

When the filling ends are moved or shifted from their normal path in this manner, the dcwnwardly inclined portion 22 allows the filling ends to shift to the straight shank portion I 6 and find one of the transverse slots Hi. When this occurs, the filling end E or E will be received in one of the transverse slots [4, and due to the angled disposition from the selvage edge of the cloth C, will be held positively disposed under tension until cut by the temple by the temple knife T, the tension on the filling ends E and E will be released and drop out of the transverseslots I 4 to be disposed of in the usual manner. A plurality of slots M are provided so that the filling ends may range naturally over the shank portion I 6 in finding a slot I4, and also to provide for accommodating several filling ends at a time in cases where transfer may be repeated more than once in immediate succes- S1011 as mentioned above.

A filling thread tension device constructed in accordance with the present inVention ma be readily installed on any type of automatic replenishing loom without requiring any alteration knife T. After cutting.

or adaption of the loom in the course of installation, with the possible exception of providing the recess or groove L in lay L and a, mounting aperture in the loom frame F to receive the machine screw 12' for attaching the mounting bracket I2. After installation, no adjustment whatever is necessary during operation of the loom to maintain dependable operating results.

We claim:

1. A filling thread tension device adapted for tensioning the loose filling ends which result at transfer in a loom and thereby maintain said loose filling ends positively disposed for cutting by a temple knife, said device comprising an arm member adapted for attachment on a, loom frame with an extending disposition reaching immediately below the normal path of filling thread across the lay of the loom, said arm member constituting the sole filling thread tensioning element of said device, and said arm member being formed with a, plurality of transverse slots disposed for receiving and gripping the filling threads when they are shifted from their normal path at transfer, whereby said filling threads are retained under tension until cut by the temple knife.

2. A filling thread tension device as defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said arm member is formed with a shank portion adjacent its point of attachment on the loom frame, said shank portion having at least one fiat face, a mounting bracket is provided that is adapted to be secured on the loom frame and is formed for receiving said shank portion for sliding movement but engaging said fiat face and thereby preventing turning of said shank portion in said bracket, and a spring is disposed over said shank portion so that it bears against said bracket for normally maintaining said arm member in extending position but allowing sliding retraction of said shank portion in said bracket if required during operation of the loom.

3. In a loom of the type incorporating an automatic filling replenishing mechanism, a filling thread tension device adapted for tensioning the loose filling ends which result at transfer and thereby maintain said loose filling ends positively disposed for cutting by a temple knife, said device comprising an arm member adapted for attachment on the loom at the battery side with an extending disposition in parallel spaced relation adjacent the selvage edge of cloth woven on said loom and reaching immediately below the normal path of filling thread across the lay of the loom, said arm member constituting the sole filling thread tensioning element of said device, and said armmember being formed with a plurality of transverse slots disposed for receiving and gripping the filling threads when they are shifted from their normal path at transfer, whereby said filling threads are retained under tension from the selvage edge of the cloth until cut by the temple knife.

4. In a loom of the type incorporating an automatic filling replenishing mechanism, a filling thread tension device as defined in claim 3 and further characterized in that the transverse slots formed in said arm member for receiving and gripping the filling thread upon shifting a transfer are formed in a relatively narrow width exceeding the diameter of the filling thread sufficiently to allow it to be received freely in said slots but approximating said diameter for gripping and retaining the filling thread while angled from the selvage edge of the cloth.

5. In a loom of the type incorporating an automatic filling replenishing mechanism, a filling thread tension device as defined in claim 3 and further characterized in that said arm member is formed with a straight shank portion adjacent its point of attachment on the loom frame, a downwardly inclined portion at the end of this straight shank portion, and a further straight portion having a parallel disposition with respect to said straight shank portion and continuing from said downwardly inclined portion at the extending end of said arm member, said second mentioned straight portion having a, length and being disposed together with said downwardly inclined portion in substantial correspondence with the reach of the lay movement, said downwardly inclined portion serving to limit normally the play of filling thread to said second mentioned straight portion but allowing said filling thread to shift upon transfer to said first mentioned straight shank portion, and said plurality of transverse slots being arranged in said straight shank portion adjacent said downwardly inclined portion for receiving and gripping said filling thread upon shifting a transfer.

6. In a loom of the type incorporating an automatic filling replenishing mechanism, a filling thread tension device as defined in claim 5 and further characterized in that said straight shank portion is formed with at least one fiat face, a mounting bracket is provided that is adapted to be secured on the loom frame and formed for receiving said straight shank portion for sliding movement but engaging said fiat face and thereby preventing turning of said straight shank portion in said bracket, and a spring is disposed over said straight shank portion so that it bears against said bracket for normally maintaining said arm member in extending position but allowing sliding retraction of said straight shank portion in said bracket if required during operation of the loom.

SAMUEL T. BRADLEY. RILEY A. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,221,385 Stafford Apr. 3, 1917 1,422,897 Southwick July 18, 1922 2,090,726 Golden Aug. 24, 1937 2,141,062 Drolet Dec. 20, 1938 2,341,840 Brown Feb. 15, 1944 

